1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to the field of streaming data over a network and more specifically, the automating of business processes driven by real-time information. Further this invention relates to electronic message delivery involving multiple data streams and multiple clients.
2. Description of Related Art
Resource allocation is one of the on-going challenges faced by enterprises streaming data to multiple clients. Current approaches handle streaming data by routing only though the initial connection or session, and thereby effectively route all data-streams for a session through the same resources. Moreover, methods employing request-specific routing are limited to static data and do-not satisfy streaming data demands. Other approaches to dynamic routing, (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,039,671) have limited practical application. Another difficulty with current methods is the treatment of each “topic” as equal. However, as between topics, the load induced may vary greatly: update rates differ, varying amounts of value-added calculation, as well as different qualities of service and, possibly, widely variable latency requirements What is needed is a more efficient method of routing streaming data, such that load is distributed dynamically.